Small enterprises across the district will be able to boost their business thanks to a new grants scheme, which is being launched by Chichester District Council and which will open for applications on 12 April 2021.
Managed by the council’s Economic Development Team, the Enabling Grant Scheme will give small businesses in the Chichester District the opportunity to access funding that will help them to grow and develop.
There are three types of grants and businesses can apply for one of these options:
- Capital projects — a grant of up to £2,000 to help fund capital projects, such as the purchase of new equipment to improve productivity or to reach new markets (to be 50% match-funded by the business).
- Website and social media projects — funding of up to £1,500 to assist with the creation and development of a business website and/or social media channels (to be 50% match-funded by the business).
- Start-up awards — a fully-funded grant of up to £500 for start-up businesses (this does not need to be match funded).
“Supporting our businesses and improving the local economy are key priorities for us as a council,” says Victoria McKay, Divisional Manager for Property and Growth at Chichester District Council. “The Enabling Grants Scheme is another way in which we can help our district businesses grow and thrive, and we’d urge local businesses to find out more.
“We have a designated amount of Enabling Grant funding, which will be available to businesses in two rounds. The first round, which is set to benefit around 20 district businesses, will be open for applications from 12 April and will close at midnight on 2 May 2021.
“We have created some guidance notes to help businesses understand the types of projects that are eligible for funding and the information that needs to be provided with the application. These notes are now available to view here: www.chichester.gov.uk/enablinggrantscheme.
“Please make sure that you have read the guidance notes carefully before you apply, in particular the eligibility criteria and application process as these have changed since the last time the Enabling Grants Scheme was delivered. All valid applications will be evaluated by our Economic Development Officers and assessed against the guidance notes on our website. The decision process may take up to six weeks from the application closing date.
“The second round of funding will be available in the autumn and we will keep businesses updated on this.
“The scheme is separate to the range of coronavirus business support on offer, and we would urge any businesses that have been affected by the coronavirus crisis, or are looking for financial support to aid their recovery from the pandemic, to visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/covidbusinessupport and see if they are eligible for any of the Government grants available.”
Businesses in the Chichester District can now view the Enabling Grant Scheme guidance notes on the council’s website at: www.chichester.gov.uk/enablinggrantscheme and will be able to apply from 12 April. For more information, email [email protected].
This is just one of the ways in which the council’s Economic Development Team can support local businesses. The team offer a range of different services, including a business contact scheme. For more information, visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/businesssupportandadvice
